Compiled by FAZLEENA AZIZ, ALLISON LAI and R. ARAVINTHAN
FISHERMEN in Terengganu have dispelled reports of a cartel selling fish to foreigners in the middle of the sea for higher profits, Utusan Malaysia reported.
Terengganu Fishermen Association (Penentu) chairman Mat Yassin Mohammed said fishermen bring all their catch back to the shore, adding that there was no trading in the middle of the sea.
“Penentu has not seen any such illegal activity taking place in this state,” he said.
Utusan Malaysia reported that middlemen, who are monopolising the sector, were selling their catch to foreign fishermen in such a manner.
This was confirmed by the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia.
However, Mat Yassin stressed that no one would dare to execute such illegal activities due to enforcement by the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency, Fisheries Department and other agencies.
“If there is less supply of fish now, this happens seasonally due to factors such as the monsoon, uncertain weather and strong currents.”
A fisherman, known only as Pak Usop, 74, maintained that he has not witnessed any such mid-sea trading in the past 40 years.
“Most of the fishermen here are traditional. There is no cartel nor illegal activity happening in the middle of the sea,” he said.
> Singer Beby Acha, 31, has taken a jibe at those who were apparently aroused by the dance movements in dangdut songs.
“To me, it is up to the perception of the audience whether the gelek dance is arousing.
“Sometimes, people would say that it is sensual even though we are not doing the gelek and we just wear normal clothes and merely stand up,” Harian Metro quoted her as saying.
“It is all the person’s perspective.”
Beby Acha or Nur Aishah Md Shari said even though the gelek is synonymous with dangdut singers, it did not mean they are trying to sexually arouse their audience.
“I don’t gelek a lot on stage. I do a little dancing that is simple for the audience, nothing over the top. But there are people who claim it looks sensual.”
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.